Israel Mystery Photo #6

So, what did I learn from last week’s Israel Mystery Photo? I learned that they are much more challenging for my classmates when we did not visit the location as part of our course. I only got two responses last week (both correct): one directly emailed to me and one from Aaron in the comments, where he admitted to Googling it to find the correct answer: the Artists’ Colony in Ein Hod.

But that also raises another question for me: does making these photos challenging for my classmates also make them way too hard for the rest of you? I’d rather this be a fun challenge for most of my readers, more than a tough challenge for my classmates. So please do let me know in the comments, even if you do not know where this photo was taken. I’m also open to further suggestions and ideas. For example, would multiple choice be better for this? Let me know! Anyway…

Ein Hod is one of those pleasant and quaint towns in Israel that is visited way too infrequently, I think. It is a drop off the beaten path, and somewhat less known. But I think it makes a perfect cultural pairing with a visit to nearby Zichron Yaakov.

Both are quiet and picturesque mountain towns in the Carmel with older buildings and great views. But what makes them pair well is the cultural aspect. One of the major attractions of Zichron Yaakov (though far from the only one) is its wine. In addition to the large-scale Carmel Winery, there is also the smaller yet still popular and good quality Tishbi Winery. Combining a winery visit with a stop in at the Ein Hod artists’ colony can make for a lovely half day. Other logical stops in the area to fill out the day include Caesarea, Atlit and Haifa.

The Ein Hod artists’ colony includes numerous public works of art, such as the one in last week’s photo. That one is called Couple in a Sardine Can and is by the whimsical Beny Levy. I got a bit of a laugh from a quote in this webpage about the sculpture:

Beny said that Prime Minister Shimon Peres attended the unveiling and that when the drape was removed the prime minister declared “Its not so bad being a sardine!”

There are many artists’ villages in Israel, including but not limited to Old Yaffo, Jerusalem’s Chutzot HaYotzer and the old city of Tzefat. I’m not enough of an expert to say whether the art at Ein Hod is of a higher caliber than that at the other sites. But I will say that the atmosphere there is unlike that at any of the other colonies. And as an added benefit, shopping in Ein Hod can help some people in need, as Ein Hod was partially damaged in last year’s Carmel Mountain forest fire.

Israeli History Primer

With thousands of years of history, and tens of historical eras and ruling cultures, a trip to Israel can be confusing for those not versed in the history. It helps a lot to have a general overview before you visit. Even if you don't remember any of it, at least the terms will be vaguely familiar. I wrote a primer for just that purpose.

What is…?

In addition to the different cultures you'll encounter, there are also many unfamiliar terms you may come across in a trip to Israel. I've written a series of blog posts filling in some details about those unique things. These are about the terms that you might hear a lot here, but might never hear anywhere else.